Survivor 43 Discussion Thread

[PUSH]

That was a great episode. The only thing I'll complain about is the "earn the merge" thing. The tribes literally merged already. Every single person there made the merge. Just because they don't have a buff doesn't mean they haven't merged. Just admit it's the merge and stop with the gimmick. If you want to have group challenges where half the people are safe, fine. I actually like that. But they all made the merge. It's more that they don't make the jury, than they don't make the merge.

The fallout of Baka was fantastic. They were such a hot mess, and I'm glad we got to see it. I wish Elie would have stayed because her rivalry with Gabler was so fun. But she was so delusional with Jeanine thinking they were in control. Way too confident and cocky. Elie played way too hard, too early. You never want to be the person trying to call the shots at the merge.

It'll be interesting to see where things go from here. The lines haven't been drawn. The only person on the "bottom" is Jeanine. Everyone hopped on Elie because it was the easy vote. But my guess is Jeanine won't be the next to go.

I felt like Jeanine made the right call not to play her idol for Elie. Even though I think Jeanine thought Elie was safe, it doesn't make sense to play your idol on someone who is such a big target, especially this early in the game. You're likely only saving her for a vote or two, while also losing out on safety for yourself. This way Jeanine has bought herself at least one extra vote to try and get back in with someone else.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

I'm surprised no one plays an idol for themselves in these situations. It's the equivalent of a final 6 vote, at which point you'd be nuts not to play it.

Agree not to play it for someone else. It's still early and lots can happen.

Good riddance to the hourglass nonsense but yeah, saying it's sort of a merge but not a merge is a stretch.

Ryan is Naseer 2.0 with his poorly thought out plan that any random group that has assembled should automatically be an alliance.

 

[PUSH]

I'm surprised no one plays an idol for themselves in these situations. It's the equivalent of a final 6 vote, at which point you'd be nuts not to play it.

I think in this case it was fairly locked in that Elie was going home. If you have an idol (Cody, Gabler, Jeanine, and Karla), you likely won't play it unless someone else plays one first. So if Jeanine plays it for Elie, then Cody probably plays his. But Gabler and Karla were safe already. You could make the case that Gabler should have played his on someone, but it looks like Owen was on the outside of the vote. If I remember right, Sami was up for elimination, and it would have been a nice gesture to play it for him. But then that may freak Elie and Jeanine out, and it may show how close Gabler and Sami actually are. So overall I think it's better not to play it for how solid the plan seemed between everyone.

 

[PUSH]

This was another good episode. The challenge was interesting, but it was way too "motivational" for my liking. I do miss the villains of the season. I feel as if this season could use a boost with a villain. After the Elie/Gabler saga came to a close, there's no conflict anymore.

I wish they'd stop trying to make Knowledge is Power a thing. It's a bad advantage. However, the fallout of everyone swapping advantages is interesting. Jeanine no longer has her idol because she, once again, had a terrible read. I really wonder if she's going to be a zero vote finalist. She has no agency in the game, despite always thinking she's in the know. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the swapped advantages go. Do you give them back, even though James still has the KiP?

Also an interesting fact... Jesse and Karla both went to the same college and graduated in the same year. So no wonder Jesse feels naturally drawn to her... it's because they've probably connected the dots and have mutual relationships.

I'm going to start giving my tier rankings of the players again. If they're anything like last season, I will be totally wrong until the second to last episode.

Tier 1: The Favorites to Win
Jesse
Karla

Tier 2: Winner Potential
Noelle
James
Cody
Owen
Sami

Tier 3: Probably Not
Cassidy
Ryan
Jeanine
Gabler

And I'm going to give a rating so far through the pre-jury. I'll give this season a 6/10 so far. Very average, but it's building to a higher grade.

Also, speaking of pre-jury... Dwight didn't even earn the jury?! What is the point of earning the merge, then?

 

[artvandelay]

This was another good episode. The challenge was interesting, but it was way too "motivational" for my liking. I do miss the villains of the season. I feel as if this season could use a boost with a villain. After the Elie/Gabler saga came to a close, there's no conflict anymore.

I wish they'd stop trying to make Knowledge is Power a thing. It's a bad advantage. However, the fallout of everyone swapping advantages is interesting. Jeanine no longer has her idol because she, once again, had a terrible read. I really wonder if she's going to be a zero vote finalist. She has no agency in the game, despite always thinking she's in the know. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the swapped advantages go. Do you give them back, even though James still has the KiP?

Also an interesting fact... Jesse and Karla both went to the same college and graduated in the same year. So no wonder Jesse feels naturally drawn to her... it's because they've probably connected the dots and have mutual relationships.

I'm going to start giving my tier rankings of the players again. If they're anything like last season, I will be totally wrong until the second to last episode.

Tier 1: The Favorites to Win
Jesse
Karla

Tier 2: Winner Potential
Noelle
James
Cody
Owen
Sami

Tier 3: Probably Not
Cassidy
Ryan
Jeanine
Gabler

And I'm going to give a rating so far through the pre-jury. I'll give this season a 6/10 so far. Very average, but it's building to a higher grade.

Also, speaking of pre-jury... Dwight didn't even earn the jury?! What is the point of earning the merge, then?

Jeff told Dalton Ross that Jeanine’s idol is dead. As soon as he says “if you have an idol or advantage, now is the time to play it” and you do nothing everything is frozen. Dwight could not hand it back to Jeanine. I guess it’s an 8 person jury with a final 3. I’d rather it was a 9 person jury with a final 2, but I think those days are over.

 

[PUSH]

Roger Sexton, from Survivor The Amazon, passed away on October 26th after battling Lewy Body Dementia.

 

[PUSH]

I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but the entire vibe of this season has been that... there's no vibe. It's been very dull. I keep hearing people say they nailed the cast, but I really don't feel strongly about the majority of them. They're all just kind of there. Outside of Gabler, there isn't any unique personality. Maybe Cody. But I feel like there are so many "lay low" type of players, and it's a good strategy, but it doesn't make for great TV.

I like Karla and Jesse, but outside of that I'm not really rooting for anyone. Maybe Noelle. It may not be the cast. It could be the editing... but something is off.

I mean, this whole episode was built up to be the downfall of Ryan, then it switches back to Jeanine. It makes me think the plan to take out Ryan was never truly that realistic.

The Elie vote was a great episode. Last week was good, but I still felt left in the dark about why Dwight really went home. If I had to rank this season so far, it would likely be in the bottom third. I'm getting Ghost Island vibes... some solid players, but really not a lot going on. It's possible that the new era is so formulaic that players know exactly what is coming and when, so it's much easier to make plans. There's not a lot of randomness to the game when Jeff announces that smart players should know that _______ is happening now.

The most exciting thing was Jesse pulling out Jeanine's idol. Great play by him to get Dwight out, and maybe that's the reason he was ultimately good with voting Dwight.

I'm hoping it picks up, and it very well could. There are a lot of good players left... Karla, Jesse, Sami... along with some fun characters like Gabler and Cody.

Not much has changed, so I won't update my winner rankings. They're the same as last week. Just take Jeanine out.

Tier 1: The Favorites to Win
Jesse
Karla

Tier 2: Winner Potential
Noelle
James
Cody
Owen
Sami

Tier 3: Probably Not
Cassidy
Ryan
Gabler

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

It feels like a standard mid-season lull where we get a few weeks of pagonging. As always, the editing does its' best to create some suspense but at the end of the day it makes sense that people in a solid majority would play it safe for at least a vote or two. You make the move when you're in a position to shake things up but still be in a majority.

Plenty of time for things to get interesting, especially with the advantages in play. There was talk last week of whether or not the idol could be passed back after the votes start being read and if Jeanine was trying to get it, so that's a fun twist from Jesse and the fact that he's keeping the info to himself is a strangely rare occurance.

 

[Jedijax719]

I agree with @PUSH . This season hasn't been all out bad like Nicaragua, Island of Idols, or Vanuatu, but it hasn't been as good as the last 2 seasons. Everyone has just been......nice. No standouts like Shan, Deshawn, Mike, Maryanne, Jonathan, or Omer. I could deal with anyone winning who has been shown.

If I had to pick people who could win based on editing, I'd say Sami looks the most solid, followed by Owen, Cody, Jesse, Karla, Noelle, or Cassidy. Cassidy was on the outs with the votes but wasn't shown in the preview as being a target so that is something. But Sami, by far, has the best editing for winner. Owen is a clear second.

Haven't been as into this season although I've been watching. Between having watched our Stros sail to the World Series and being obsessed with Black Panther Wakanda Forever, Survivor has taken more of a back seat than usual lol.

 

[PUSH]

I agree with @PUSH . This season hasn't been all out bad like Nicaragua, Island of Idols, or Vanuatu, but it hasn't been as good as the last 2 seasons.

Hey now... Vanuatu is a good season. I have it at 20 in my season rankings.

However, I agree on the other seasons. Nicaragua at 39 and IoI at 41. The only one worse than IoI... Thailand.

 

[Jedijax719]

Oh and Gabon was GODAWFUL! Fiji wasn't good either but Yau Man was pretty cool and Earl was a good winner.

Nicaragua was THE worst. Terrible cast with some nasty people, two lame quitters, terrible winner....the only good aspect was Brenda and she was booted WAY too early.

 

[PUSH]

Oh and Gabon was GODAWFUL! Fiji wasn't good either but Yau Man was pretty cool and Earl was a good winner.

Nicaragua was THE worst. Terrible cast with some nasty people, two lame quitters, terrible winner....the only good aspect was Brenda and she was booted WAY too early.

Gabon is very devisive. It's not my favorite. It's a parody of a season, but I enjoy it for some humor. You've gotta go in watching for comedy, rather than strategy or social gameplay.

 

[Jedijax719]

Gabon is very devisive. It's not my favorite. It's a parody of a season, but I enjoy it for some humor. You've gotta go in watching for comedy, rather than strategy or social gameplay.

Probably the worst thing about Gabon (besides Corinne being a horrible person) is how the jury treated Crystal in Ponderosa. Completely uncalled for and immature. Contrast that with seasons like Heroes vs Villains and David Vs Goliath where everyone was ecstatic to see everyone else even if they were betrayed. Call me a softy, but I like when someone is betrayed by someone else and still hugs them when they arrive at Ponderosa.

One World was also not a good season BUT had one of THE best winners ever (Kim) so it kinda neutralizes it.

 

[PUSH]

Probably the worst thing about Gabon (besides Corinne being a horrible person) is how the jury treated Crystal in Ponderosa. Completely uncalled for and immature. Contrast that with seasons like Heroes vs Villains and David Vs Goliath where everyone was ecstatic to see everyone else even if they were betrayed. Call me a softy, but I like when someone is betrayed by someone else and still hugs them when they arrive at Ponderosa.

One World was also not a good season BUT had one of THE best winners ever (Kim) so it kinda neutralizes it.

These are my rankings. I did a rewatch of all the seasons a couple years back, and I update them at the end of every new season. They're very fluid, though, and can shift a little bit based on my mood. Some of my hottest takes... HvV is not a top 3 season. Tocantins is an average season. One World isn't bad.

1. Micronesia (16)
2. Cambodia (31)
3. Cagayan (28)
4. Heroes vs Villains (20)
5. David vs Goliath (37)
6. The Amazon (6)
7. China (15)
8. Borneo (1)
9. Survivor 42
10. Winners at War (40)
11. Blood vs Water (27)
12. Pearl Islands (7)
13. Cook Islands (13)
14. Panama (12)
15. Philippines (25)
16. Millennials vs Gen X (33)
17. Kaoh Rong (32)
18. Survivor 41
19. Palau (10)
20. Vanuatu (9)
21. Tocantins (18)
22. Africa (3)
23. The Australian Outback (2)
24. Marquesas (4)
25. San Juan del Sur (29)
26. All-Stars (8)
27. Edge of Extinction (38)
28. One World (24)
29. Heroes vs Healers vs Hustlers (35)
30. Guatemala (11)
31. Caramoan (26)
32. Game Changers (34)
33. Samoa (19)
34. Fiji (14)
35. Ghost Island (36)
36. Gabon (17)
37. Worlds Apart (30)
38. South Pacific (23)
39. Nicaragua (21)
40. Redemption Island (22)
41. Island of the Idols (39)
42. Thailand (5)

 

[PUSH]

Survivor 44 premieres on March 1st.

 

[PUSH]

Another sad report. Dan Lembo of Survivor Nicaragua passed away back in September at the age of 75. He joins the following Survivor contestants who have passed away since playing the game:

Jenn Lyon (Palau)
BB Anderson (Borneo)
Caleb Bankston (Blood vs Water)
Dan Kay (Gabon)
Ashley Massaro (China)
Rudy Boesch (Borneo & All-Stars)
Cliff Robinson (Cagayan)
Angie Jakusz (Palau)
Sunday Burquest (Millennials vs Gen X)
Ralph Kiser (Redemption Island)
Clay Jordan (Thailand)
Roger Sexton (Amazon)

 

[PUSH]

This was a good episode. Probably the best of the season.

Starting with the first group to go to Tribal Council... the Owen and James conflict was great. We never get real conflict anymore. I miss it. Show me some drama and hard feelings. I am curious as to why Karla went along with the plan, but my guess is she knew she didn't have the votes. Therefore, she might as well vote for James. She could have played her idol for him, but that's better for her to keep a secret and use down the line.

I think Karla, even without James, is in a good spot. There are multiple people who are considering her thoughts and feelings every time there's a vote. Cody and Jesse even said on their vote how they didn't want to upset Karla. Along with her bandage, Karla has so many people wrapped around her finger. Also... it was so great seeing Karla win immunity! I loved her line saying, "What about the big girls?"

Noelle played that vote beautifully. She used her vote steal to convince someone not to play their advantage (James' Knowledge is Power), and made him think she was using it to stop Owen from playing his Shot in the Dark. What a move. I'm loving Noelle. I think her stock is rising.

Onto the second vote... not as much fun, but I think this is the right move for Cody and Jesse. They lock in Gabler, and they keep their trust with Karla and Cassidy. That's potentially a five person group heading into the final 8. The only problem is, Karla still has other options with Sami, Owen, and Noelle. Those four and Cassidy could team up to take out a bigger threat in Cody or Jesse. But Jesse has two idols, which I'm shocked that Cody hasn't asked for his back yet.

It's shaping up to be a good end to the season. They really only have big players left... Jesse, Karla, Cody, Sami, Noelle, Owen... and even Cassidy and Gabler can play. I feel like we've gotten rid of all the dead weight. This is a pretty good final 8. Maybe one of the better final 8s we've had.

Here's my updated winner rankings...

Tier 1: The Favorites to Win
Jesse
Karla
Noelle
Sami

Tier 2: Winner Potential
Cody
Owen

Tier 3: Probably Not
Cassidy
Gabler

I still feel like Sami isn't quite the winner. I could see him being the 5th place finisher. He could definitely fall in that Ricard/Lindsay spot. But I could also see Jesse or Karla falling there... the person who should have won, but came short. The old 4th place fallen angel.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Is it manipulative of the show to split the tribe and brush off what would typically be a predictable series of votes at this time? Sure, but at the same time it's highly entertaining and forces them to really play, so there is that.

James was ultimately arrogant and didn't know how to talk to people.

Jeff shouldn't do accents.

 

[PUSH]

Is it manipulative of the show to split the tribe and brush off what would typically be a predictable series of votes at this time? Sure, but at the same time it's highly entertaining and forces them to really play, so there is that.

James was ultimately arrogant and didn't know how to talk to people.

Jeff shouldn't do accents.

It seems like the players knew the split was coming. Nobody seems surprised, and as I've said before... the new era seems very predictable. Everything happens at the same point in the game.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

It seems like the players knew the split was coming. Nobody seems surprised, and as I've said before... the new era seems very predictable. Everything happens at the same point in the game.

I'm not sure how I feel about it being predictable either way.

It's a game and you need to know the rules to play it. Too much unpredictability and no one can really develop strategy, as it's all so random.

On the other hand, the predictability means we see the game play out the same way. There's no tribe swap so the strong players are kept around for strength as that's the clear strategy. We've had two winners who played low key games to start and then pounce at the end.

The most balanced approach might be to establish what twists and advantages are in the game, but switch it up in terms of when they occur. Find that balance of players knowing the rules but having to adapt at surprising times. Knowing there might be a split but not knowing when. Knowing knowledge is power and idol nullifies might be in play, but not always. Etc. etc.